buma

Buma is a surname of Dutch origin. In Dutch-speaking regions it appears as a family name and is found in various historical and contemporary records. The name is relatively uncommon and may show up across different fields, including arts, academia, and public life.

Buma is also associated with a Dutch organization related to music rights. Historically, the term referred to a foundation that licensed and collected royalties for composers and lyricists, operating within the Dutch system of collective rights management. It has been linked with the broader Buma/Stemra arrangement, which administers the rights to public performance, reproduction, and digital use of musical works in the Netherlands. In discussions of Dutch culture and intellectual property, Buma often appears in reference to these rights-management activities.

Because of its separate usages as a surname and as the name of a music-rights institution, Buma can appear in different types of discourse—from biographical references to analyses of copyright practices in the Netherlands. The exact meaning in a given context typically clarifies whether it is being used as a personal name or as part of an organizational title.

See also: Stemra, Buma/Stemra.